Louis van Gaal has claimed that he may not be in the market for a striker and that the “surprise” acquisition the Manchester United manager has previously mentioned plays in another position.

After his team defeated San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 at the Avaya Stadium, Van Gaal said: “I don’t know if I want to buy a striker. I have read in the media that a striker is the surprise. No, that I have not said. You are saying that, because my answer is like that. No, I mean something else.”

Goals from Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Andreas Pereira ensured United made it two victories from two tour outings, with Fatai Alashe answering for the Earthquakes. The manager again fielded two different outfield XIs in each half.

While he was pleased with the performance of the one before the break, Van Gaal called the second lineup “bad”, describing Bastian Schweinsteiger, the Germany World Cup winner, in the same manner.

Manchester United still searching for fluency despite win over San Jose

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Van Gaal said: “The second half we played very badly, a lot of ball losses and the only highlight was the goal from Andreas Pereira. I think we don’t give many chances away, but we give possibilities away, it was a threat always, and that was not necessary. Our positions in midfield were not as good as in the first-half.

“He [Schweinsteiger] was also bad. Players can play bad, especially when they only have six days training in your legs and you have to play 45 minutes. Everyone can think it is easy to step in, but it’s not. The first match he played very well and now he played badly, but that is also a process when you only have one week of training.”

Discussing the goalkeeper David de Gea, who missed the game because of a minor injury – though he did take part in the warm-up – Van Gaal said: “I have good hope he can play against Barcelona [on Saturday]. But he was injured as well as well as Anders Lindegaard, so I said: ‘Go stand in the goal so we have a point of direction for my attackers, but don’t do anything to risk your injury.’ That is because we have to build him up. I think he can play [against Barcelona] and I hope he can play.”

United now have only 180 minutes of football before the Premier League opener against Tottenham on 8 August at Old Trafford. But Van Gaal is not concerned, stating he will play a full behind-doors match at the club’s Carrington training base.